Piazza Unità d'Italia (English: ''Unity of Italy Square'') is the main square in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

, a seaport city in northeast

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Located at the foot of the hill with the castle of San Giusto, the square faces the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. It is often said to be Europe's largest square located next to the sea. The square was built during the period when Trieste was the most important seaport of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and includes the city's municipal buildings and other important palaces. Before 1919 it was known as ''Piazza Grande'', or Great Square. The local

Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...

still refer to it as ''Veliki trg'' (Great Square), both in daily speech and in the media. In the last decade, the term ''Trg zedinjenja'' (Unity Square) or ''Trg zedinjenja Italije'' (Unity of Italy Square) has also become popular, especially in official documents. The square itself has occasionally been used as a concert venue, with

Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...

using the square as a venue for a show on their 99 Revolutions Tour in 2013. The attendance was of 12,000 people. In 2016, it was used by heavy metal band Iron Maiden as a concert venue (it was the third of three Italian dates): the concert was sold out with over 15,000 fans. The square is also occasionally used for visits of foreign heads of state and meetings. In November 2013 President of Russia

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

met Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta there for bilateral talks. In July 2017 a trilateral meeting attended by Angela Merkel,

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...

, and Paolo Gentiloni was held there, as well as the fourth Western Balkans Summit. On 7th July 2024

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

celebrated Holy Mass in the square as part of the 50th Social Week of Catholics in Italy. https://www.diocesi.trieste.it/blog/2024/01/24/con-gioia-accoglieremo-papa-francesco-domenica-7-luglio-2024/

References

External links

History of the square (in Italian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piazza Unita D'italia Geography of Trieste Tourist attractions in Trieste Piazzas in Friuli-Venezia Giulia